September 6, 2016

Photo Credits by Nicholas Hauser

MADISON, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) returned home Tuesday evening at DSU Fieldhouse, hosting long-time rival Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.).  This was the seventh straight match that the Trojans had faced an opponent from the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC).  The Tigers and Trojans went to the distance, won by DWU where they closed the fifth set with a 6-2 scoring spurt for 15-13 decisive fifth set victory.

Dakota Wesleyan won by the scores of 22-25, 25-23, 26-24, 21-25 and 15-13 to raise their overall record to 6-1.  Dakota State is still seeking for their first victory of the season, falling to 0-7 overall record.

DSU and DWU went through eight ties in the opening set.  Trailing 12-11, the Trojans scored six consecutive points – thanks to four miscues on DWU – to grab a 17-12 lead over the Tigers.

The Tigers could get no closer than one point at 21-20 as the Trojans secured a 1-0 match lead by closing the first set with a 25-22 victory (Kirstin Johnson's kill assisted by Kaylee Vander Wal for the final point of the first set). 

The early going of the second set was much similar to the first set.  Tied at 12-12, Dakota State went on a 6-1 scoring run to open up another biggest lead of the match at 18-13. 

The Tigers stormed back with a 10-4 scoring run to overtake the lead from the Trojans at 23-22 after a kill by Michelle Van Epps.  DSU tied it at 23-23 – the eighth tie of the second set – after Tessa Weeldreyer's kill.  DWU closed the second set with two straight kills by Lauren Tadlock and Dana Misiaszek for 25-23 victory, evening the match at 1-1.

Dakota Wesleyan outhit Dakota State 15-8 in the second set.

DSU raced to another biggest lead of the match after opening the third set with an 8-3 lead.  DWU would answer back with an 8-3 run to tie the third set at 11-11.

Trailing 24-22, the Trojans saved two set points from the Tigers after a kill by Carly Rozell and an attack error by DWU's Tadlock to knot at 24-24.  DWU closed the third set with a kill by Tadlock and an attack error by the Trojans, earning a 2-1 match lead after the third set at 26-24.  There were eight ties in the third set.

DSU smashed 16 kills compared to DWU 12 kills in the third set.

Leading 13-10 in the fourth set, the Trojans widen their lead to five points at 18-13 – DSU's biggest lead of the match for the fourth time. 

DWU could get no closer than one point at 22-21, where the Trojans forced the fifth and deciding set by scoring the final three points – a kill by Rozell and a pair of attack errors by Tiger Tadlock – of the fourth set. 

Dakota State hit .175 in the fourth set with 13 kills and 6 errors in 40 swings.  Dakota Wesleyan was held to minus .021 hitting percentage (10 kills with 11 errors in 47 attempts).

Knotted at 5-5 in the deciding set, DSU scored three consecutive points to grab a three-point lead at 8-5 and forced DWU to call their first timeout of the set.  During the scoring run, Johnson and Rozell recorded a block followed by a kill by Clarissa Blick (assisted by Kylie Martin) and an attack error by DWU's Rebecca Frick.

After DWU called their second timeout of the fifth set trailing 10-7, the Tigers surged with a 7-1 scoring run for a 14-11 lead.  Rozell smashed a kill as the Trojans cut DWU's lead to 14-12, but a kill by Tadlock secured a thrilling five-set marathon match for the Tigers.

DWU had 11 kills (.241 hitting efficiency) in the fifth set, while DSU recorded 7 kills (.143 hitting percentage).

There were a total of 34 ties in the match.  The biggest lead of the match was at five points – four occurrences for the Trojans.  DWU's biggest lead was by three points in the early fourth set.

Weeldreyer smashed a career-high 18 kills for the Trojans.  She hit .341 in the match.  Rozell added 10 kills.  Blick recorded eight kills.  Samantha Zell and Johnson each tallied seven kills.

Kaylee Vander Wal produced her fourth double-double of the season with 31 set assists and collected 10 digs for DSU.  McKenna DeMoe also added a double-double of 15 assists and 14 digs. She had two service aces.

Hannah Bauer led Dakota State's defense with 22 digs.  Blick registered 19 digs.

Johnson had eight block assists for the Trojans.  Weeldreyer and Blick each added three block assists.  Blick also had two solo blocks.  Zell, Rozell and Martin each tallied two block assists.

Tadlock posted a match-high 27 kills for the Tigers, adding a double-double with 11 digs.  Dana Misiaszek added 13 kills.  Van Epps had a double-double of 53 assists and 14 digs.

Taylor Spence produced 26 digs and a service ace for DWU.  Emily Pengilly added 16 digs while Leslie Carsrud had 13 digs.  Tadlock and Katie Vetch each recorded four block assists.

Dakota Wesleyan outhit Dakota State 60-57 in the match, but the Trojans hit better with a .176 hitting percentage (25 attack errors in 182 attempts) compared to Tigers' .143 hitting efficiency (33 errors in 189 attempts). 

DWU recorded .907 percentage from the serving line (1 service ace and 10 service errors in 108 attempts).  DSU had a .901 service percentage (4 service aces and 11 errors in 111 attempts).

The Trojans racked up 90 digs in the match compared to Tigers' 87 digs.  DSU had a reception rate of .990 while DWU's reception rate was .960.

DSU accumulated 11 team blocks while DWU had 7 blocks. 

Both teams will meet for the second meeting at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, S.D. two weeks later (Sept. 20).

Dakota State looks to halt their losing skid with four matches on Friday and Saturday in the College of Saint Mary (Neb.)/Grace (Neb.) volleyball tournament in Omaha, Neb.  The Trojans face Mount Mercy (Iowa) at 10:30 a.m. and Peru State (Neb.) at 2:30 p.m. on Friday.  DSU concludes the tournament with a pair of matches on Saturday versus William Penn (Iowa) at 12:30 p.m. and host-team College of Saint Mary at 6:30 p.m.  All matches will be held at Lied Fitness Center.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director